The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-02-24

cir" And then the collar Of Soils coat was
| grasped, and Sol himself hurled TO q distance
with some violence.
Acta as she passed in, looked from the
depths of her big sun-bonnet- 1t was only
a quick glance, and she saw not man, but
q hero, knight of old, demigod.
Was there indeed such a man Inside OF
the pages of Froissart!
He was tall and slender, yet, from the
strength he had displayed, muscular He
was dressed differently from those around.
clad in ''store clothes" They were, Of
coarse material, but they fitted his form,
and showed its proportions to advantage.
And the frank and noble face! Acta had
but a glimpse, and then passed into the
house; but in that instant a picture was
painted in her mind to be indelible by mem
DRY.
When she came out ten minutes after,
she stole a glance again, and it was easy
for her to comprehend the situation. There
stood her CASTOR de Folk, calm and COL
lected, but with his neckcloth of and his
coat unbuttoned. Sol Perry was some
PAGES off, nursing a bleeding nose and dis
cOlored eye. There had evidently been a
short, sharp and decisive muscular dis
cusslon. As she appeared the young man
raised his hat, but she was too Hurried to
acknowledge his courtesy. She mounted
and made OF with her empty pals. All
the way hCm3 she wondered who the cham
pion might be. She thought OF him all day
and he intruded in her dreams that night.
The next day Acta discovered she was
out OF salt. In the excitement of the day
before, she had come away without visiting
the country store. So she went to a neigh
Dor half a mile away to borrow. Mrs Null
Inns, whom she visited, was fond of gossip,
and had already heard of Soils discontinue
She began upon that subject and said: at
served Sol just right. The cretur didn't
mean no harm, prOverbiy, but it'll larn him
to stop fOolin'"
''WhO-who was the-the other ?" in
quired Acta
80, he's some furriner who came yer
lookin' up some RECORDS at the cote-house
Has 4 goold watch in his poke, an thinks
no more o. THROWN dollars rOun' than eff
they were dOrnicks. Give a boy of Ance
SprulOck's a haif-dollar for showin' him
the way 10 Spruce Waters Sort o. dandy
chap, too; but they do say that he man
handled poor Sol in short meter. Has
fus' rate boss, an rides zef he'd been born
on the mOantings. Emmy wise, ne went off
this mornin'"
Gone away! And she was never to see
him more. Acta's heart sunk within her
Her Apollo her unarmored knight, had gone
away, and her eyes were to feed ON him
never more. But she did not forget him
His face would peer out from her Froissart,
his figure dance over its pages; and day by
day he would come between her and her
work and force her to stop and indulge in
lay dreams, with a smile on her lips and
moisture in her eyes.
About four months afterward, on a cool
lay in autumn, the whole current of Acta's
life was diverted in an unexpected channel |
A well-dreSSed stranger, rather advanced
II years. white-halred, serene but trife
grim, came to the courthouse and inquired |
about Stacy Dingess. He learned that he |
vas dead and that his only surviving child, |
/ daughter, liv"' " the old place He |
mounted his orse without word, and, |
without asking 49, ,Jay, rode directly to the |
arm
Acta was engaged in washing milk-pans |
& the brook in front of the house when the !
stranger rode up. He looked at her for |
and then spoke.
You are Dingess, girl; rather good |
OOking one, but a Dingess for all that. |
hould have recognized you anywhere"
Il allow Pm like the breed" said Acta, |
as she rose up, cloth in hand. |
And who may you be, if may be so bold!"
Il am Your fathers brother, Luke Din |
yess"
You do favor pap powerfully" she said,
Ifter sharp scrutiny. ''Its long while |
ince you've been here, and our folks |
bought you were dead
Luke Dingess dismounted.
Il have been too busy in making money |
0 think of any one but myself Now that |
am Il childless widower, growing old, 1
earn after my kin. 1 hoped you had a
brother whom might take with me, bat |
QUILL do. Yes" he repeated, looking
loosely at her, You'll do"
II 'spOse I'll do. have to. But dunno
Exactly what you mean"
Then Luke told her that he wished to
ldopt her as the heiress to his fortune, and
o take her away to the great city where ne
iVed.
The great city! And may be he was
here. But she shook her head Uncle"
he said, Il am not fit to live among these
ligh-learned people with their proud ways
can read, and write, and cipher, and that's
III. had better stay here where I've been
'aised"
But propose TO send you to school and
EDUCATE you so as to nit you for wealth. l
I'm very rich, child and all have mus. go
o you. You should learn how to manage
t. Some day, too, we'll go to Europe-to
england, to France"
France! To see the knights and danes
It Froissart, and him, perhaps. Her heart
bounded. Aud to be educated
1T is not the riches that tempt me-" said
Acta, after little pause, ''but the school
Gould be made to speak like he does-like
'eople in the city, | mean"
Yes, no doubt of it. You speak better
ow than tae people here"
Great was the surprise in the neighbor-
God when it was learned that Acta was
DING to the East to live; and greater still
Ehen they learned that Luke Dingess, who
Tas only remembered by the older people
$ boy, had become a rich banker in New
'ork. But the greatest surprise of all
anne when they were told that Acta had let
he place to poor Old Abner Stollins at q
Ominal rent-cows, beasts, and all thrown
land that he and his wife and tribe of
Dung ones would have chance never be-
ore offered to get along in the world. 1t
-as a great thing for Abner; and he
like boy when Acta and her
ncle rode away, never to be seen by him
gain.
Acta, before her wonder at the new scenes
nd her delight at her new dresses and the
alace-like mansion of her uncle had ceased,
-as sent to boarding school, where she
ad hard time at first. Her manner and
err mountain pecuiarities of speech made
IN for the other girls; but she bore their
hes like a herlina saw only the face of